Browns vs. Ravens score, quick points: Cleveland knocks Baltimore out of first place in the AFC North

In a sloppy, error-filled Saturday night affair, the Cleveland Browns defeated the rival Baltimore Ravens, 13-3.

Cleveland was given many opportunities to take the lead and extend its range thanks to mistakes Baltimore made, and for the most part, didn’t take advantage of. Had the Ravens been able to capitalize on their chances with any degree of consistency, they would most likely have won. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out.

The Browns averaged just south of 5 yards per game and actually lost the fight in total yardage, but they managed to convert one of the red zone chances into a touchdown, and the Ravens weren’t. This was the main difference in the game.

Nick Chubb was largely put in check except for one decent-sized run (18 yards in the second quarter) for most of the game. Deshaun Watson was neither effective (5.8 yards per attempt), nor explosive (Cleveland had one pass for a 15-plus-yard play). The Browns couldn’t stop running to save their lives, as Baltimore averaged over 7 yards per carry. The Browns made mistakes of their own, with Cade York missing two field goals and Watson picking up three sacks (including one that led to a missed field goal), and the team finished the evening just 5-of-14 in third place.

But the Ravens consistently failed to score, turning the ball over twice inside the red zone and once on the field of play, and missing two field goals. In the end, it was too much for them to handle, and Brown came away with the win.

Here are some things you should know about this game.

Why did Brown win?

Mostly because crows have been shot in the feet so frequently, honestly. It’s not like the Browns did it offensively, and they let the Ravens get into the scoring position a few times, only for the Timors to come away scoreless.

Why did the crows lose

They had a lot of missed opportunities. On their first drive of the game, the Ravens drove 71 yards on 10 plays, but came away with 0 points after stopping Patrick Rickard on their fourth-and-1 attempt. On their final drive of the first half, the Ravens moved into field goal range, but Justin Tucker shockingly missed a 48-yard attempt. Early in the second half, Baltimore once again found itself in the red zone, only for Tyler Huntley to throw a pick. And after the Browns opened up a double-digit lead, DeMarcus Robinson fumbled the first play of the next drive. Oh, and Tucker later had a 50-yard field goal attempt blocked. They were unable to convert fourth and fifth positions near midfield. And, and, and so on.

turning point

The Ravens had a chance to tie the game midway through the third quarter, but Denzel Ward took it wide of them. Facing third-and-10 from the 13-yard line, Baltimore lined up with trips to the right and attempted to sneak DeSean Jackson down it for a slasher. Ward had other ideas.

This was poor execution all around by the Crows, with Devin DuVernay failing to get through Ward and throwing him out of the way onto the ball, Jackson failing to use his body to shield the ball from a defender, and Huntley throwing the ball in front of him. Jackson and into coverage, rather than being pinned to his back shoulder. But it was also a great play from Ward, who read the entire road and ran through his man to the lane for selection.

Cleveland would drive down the field for their first touchdown of the game, extending their lead to double digits. Crows will never come close.

Highlight play

With not all that much scoring going on, there weren’t many big plays worthwhile. So, let’s go with David Njoku holding a man back. You know, he does.

Njoku is an outrageous athlete in the midst of his breakout season. He finished this game with 3 catches for 28 yards, giving him 51 and 551, along with three touchdowns, on the season in the 11 games he played. He’s approaching career highs in every category, and should soon surpass those marks.

What then

The Ravens are down to 9-5 and ceding control of #1 in the AFC North to the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore hosts the Atlanta Falcons in a game this coming Saturday afternoon. The Browns improved to 6-8 and they are still on the sidelines in the AFC qualifying race. And they play the New Orleans Saints in a game next Saturday afternoon.